I'll Love You Regardless

Chapter 3. The Revelation of the Captain

(Captain Lia, later that day.)
That boy, Gui. He shows promise. Honestly he's far better suited than the other I've been training as well. He may lack the physical strength but his heart is in the right direction and he's far more capable for leading with his strategic abilities. I've made my decision to make him the leader of the 5th brigade but I want to put him against Lerit to see if he's skilled enough for him. Lerit definitely isn't as dimwitted as Han, the man I took off of our training. However his thought process still pales in comparison to Gui's intuition in battle.

Just then a knock was heard at my door and I walked to it and quickly opened it to reveal Gui still in his armor.

(Gui's perspective)
All it took was a knock from me on to her door and she came willingly to let me in. Honestly I thought she would still be in her armor from earlier but she was in her more casual clothes. Now that I see her this way I can't help but look at her as an attractive person.

(Lia once again.)
I could tell his eyes were wandering over my apparel. I'm honestly not surprised because very few have seen me dressed like this giving I'm usually patrolling or training. "If you're done fantasizing about my looks then you can come in and I'll patch you up."

Gui's face went a whole new shade of red with embarrassment as he quickly shook his head with a little stutter. "I-I was thinking nothing of the sort Captain. I was just thinking how... adorable... you look without your armor on. I've just never seen you this way."

That word. Adorable. I froze at that word and looked to him with pleading eyes but then continued in to the room. "Thank you." Was all I responded to him. "Many don't think someone as fierce as me to be adorable."

Gui came in to my room and shut the door as he found a place to just stand. "Just because how you act in training or in battle doesn't change who you are outside of it."

That's the second person to have ever said something like that to me... the first was... no. I need to stop thinking like that. "Here." I responded to him as I walked up with some aid supplies. Quickly I cleaned the area of the dried blood and numbed the area. Of course I took some needle and wire to sew the wound shut. All it took was four times around and it shut just fine. No doubt it was going to scar his cheek.

"Captain. I have a question." Gui said out of nowhere.

"What is it?" I responded as I started putting the supplies away.

"How come someone like you hasn't found that one for you and only you."

For the third time I just froze and stopped. "Because men don't like me in that way."

"Why not? You're absolutely beautiful! Not to mention even if you're harsh sometimes all you do it for is for the good being of others."

I clenched my hand and turned to him. "It's because I'm not what I seem to be!"

"What do you mean Captain Lia?" Gui asked innocently.

I couldn't help but look away and say under my breath. "Because I'm not a woman."

"What was that?"

"Because I'm not a woman..." I responded slightly louder.

"What? I can't hear you. You need to speak louder."

I closed my eyes and turned to him once more and practically shouted. "I said it's because I'm not a woman! I'm actually a man!"

I stood there like that. My eyes closed and hands clenched as my head was lowered. Another person knew other than the other higher ups and the Prince.

"So?" Was all I heard.

Quickly I rose my head and spoke once more. "What do you mean so!?"

"So what if your gender isn't as a woman? You're still adorable anyways."

My mind stopped thinking. My heart stopped beating. I was just there. I couldn't do anything except for whisper the words, "...really? Even... though I'm a man?"

"In my eyes what you are on the outside doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is who you are on the inside." Gui said to me. I couldn't sense any sarcasm or falseness in his voice whatsoever.

"But..."

"Hey, if you like being a woman, then that's what you like. No one should judge you for who you are on the inside."

I could feel the tears streaming down my face as I launched myself towards Gui. I couldn't help it as I wrapped my arms around him and cried out loud. "N-No one... no one has ever liked me the way I am..."

"Well..." Gui whispered to Lia in a kind manner. "Since no one has ever... I'll gladly be the first. I'll love you regardless of what you are."